what if Lucy gets kidnapped again?

The Ecscape

Lucy didn't remember losing consciousness, but when she woke, the world around her was silent and still. For a moment, she panicked, thinking she was back in the warehouse, that everything she had experienced was just a cruel dream. But as she blinked the haze from her eyes, she realized she was in the back of an ambulance, the cool air soothing against her bruised skin.

A paramedic hovered over her, checking her vitals and speaking to her in a calm, reassuring tone. "You're safe now," he said, his voice gentle. "We're taking you to the hospital. Just try to relax, okay?"

Lucy nodded weakly, too exhausted to respond. Her entire body ached, every muscle screaming in protest at the slightest movement. But the overwhelming sense of relief that she was finally free kept her from slipping back into the abyss. She wasn't out of the woods yet, but she was safe for now.

The ride to the hospital was a blur. Flashes of the ordeal replayed in her mind, but she forced herself to focus on the present, on the fact that she was no longer in that hellish warehouse. She was surrounded by people who wanted to help her, who could help her. Yet, beneath that relief, there was a nagging feeling of dread. What if he found her? What if he wasn't done with her yet?

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and she closed her eyes, trying to block out the images that threatened to consume her. But they wouldn't stop. Every time she tried to push them away, they came back stronger, more vivid. The feel of his hands on her, the sound of his voice, the smell of the damp, musty air in the warehouse—it was all too real.

When the ambulance finally pulled up to the hospital, Lucy was barely holding on to her sanity. The paramedics carefully lifted her onto a stretcher and rushed her inside, where a team of doctors and nurses were waiting. She could hear them talking, their voices a mix of concern and urgency, but their words didn't register. She was too lost in her own mind, too overwhelmed by everything that had happened.

They wheeled her into a room and began assessing her injuries, their touch gentle but clinical. Lucy winced as they cleaned the cuts on her wrists, the raw skin stinging under the antiseptic. Her body was a map of pain, each bruise and cut a reminder of the torment she had endured.

"Lucy, can you hear me?" a nurse asked, her voice cutting through the fog in Lucy's mind. She blinked and looked up, meeting the woman's kind eyes. "We're going to take care of you, okay? You're safe here."

Lucy nodded, though the words felt hollow. Safe. The word felt foreign, almost meaningless after everything she'd been through. How could she feel safe when the memories of her captor were still so vivid in her mind?

They continued to work on her, cleaning her wounds, stitching up the deeper cuts, and checking for any internal injuries. Lucy lay still, her mind detached from her body, almost as if she were watching everything from outside herself. It was easier this way—easier to pretend that it was happening to someone else, that she was just an observer rather than the victim.

Hours passed before they finally left her alone, her body bandaged and her mind numb. She was moved to a private room, the quiet hum of the machines the only sound. Lucy stared at the ceiling, her thoughts racing even as her body screamed for rest. The adrenaline that had kept her going had long since faded, leaving her drained and weak. But sleep wouldn't come. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him—his face, his hands, his cruel smile.

She was drifting in and out of consciousness when a soft knock on the door pulled her from her restless state. Lucy tensed, her heart racing as she wondered if he had found her. But then the door opened, and Tim Bradford stepped into the room.

Lucy's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. Tim looked disheveled, his hair a mess and his eyes rimmed with dark circles, as if he hadn't slept in days. But the moment he saw her, relief washed over his face, and he crossed the room in two quick strides, his gaze never leaving hers.

"Lucy," he breathed, his voice thick with emotion. He reached out to touch her hand but stopped short, his fingers hovering just above hers as if he wasn't sure if she wanted to be touched. "I'm so sorry. I—"

The floodgates broke. Everything Lucy had been holding in since her abduction came rushing out in a torrent of sobs. She had been strong for so long, had fought so hard to stay in control, but seeing Tim—someone she trusted, someone who cared—was too much. She couldn't keep it together anymore.

Tim didn't hesitate. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently pulled her into his arms, holding her as she cried. Lucy clung to him, burying her face in his chest as the sobs wracked her body. For the first time since her escape, she allowed herself to feel everything she had been trying to suppress—the fear, the pain, the overwhelming sense of helplessness. And through it all, Tim held her, whispering reassurances that she was safe, that he was there, that he wasn't going anywhere.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Lucy choked out between sobs, her voice muffled against his chest. "I thought—I thought I was going to die."

Tim's grip tightened, and she felt his chest heave with a deep, shaky breath. "You're here now," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "You're alive, and that's all that matters. We'll get through this, Lucy. I promise."

They stayed like that for what felt like hours, Lucy's tears slowly subsiding as Tim continued to hold her. She didn't want to let go. Being in his arms was the first time she had felt even remotely safe since her abduction. But eventually, exhaustion won out, and her body began to relax, the adrenaline finally giving way to the fatigue that had been building up inside her.

Tim carefully eased her back onto the pillows, his eyes never leaving hers. "You need to rest," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I'll be right here, okay? I'm not leaving."

Lucy nodded, too tired to argue. She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of sleep finally begin to pull her under. But just before she drifted off, she whispered, "Thank you, Tim."

He didn't respond with words. Instead, he gently squeezed her hand, his presence a steady anchor in the storm of emotions that raged within her.

And for the first time since her ordeal began, Lucy allowed herself to hope that maybe, just maybe, she could find her way back from the darkness.